By Gami Tadanyigbe
Some residents of Pegi Community, “Abuja @ 30″ in Kuje Area Council, have protested over lack of infrastructural development and land encroachment by Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) in the area.
A correspondent who monitored the protest in Kuje, reports that the protesters barricaded entrance of the estate, holding placards with inscriptions like; “PMB, FCT Minister save Kuje Pegi community.”
The protesters alleged that the FCDA administration had failed to complete the road project linking Kuje town to the community, internal roads in the estate and have distorted the original master plan of the community.
They frowned at the insensitivity of FCDA on the distortions of the original Master plan of Pegi Resettlement site by the former Minister of FCT, Malam Nasir El-Rufai in 2005.
Mr Aderibigbe Taiwo, leader of the protesters said the protest was to inform the public of the negligence and hardship meted on the community by the FCDA.
“We the residents of Pegi community wish to notify the public that several distortions have been made to the original master plan of our community.
“The protest has become necessary as a result of the negative impacts such distortions have on our lives and environment.
“The places designed as green areas, meant to prevent flooding and pollution have been plotted and sold to persons unknown to us.
“We want the Honourable Minister to use his good offices and stop further distortions of the original master plan and provide basic amenities to the community,” he said.
Taiwo added that the plot of land allocated for Nursery, Primary and Secondary schools in the original master plan have been sold out by land speculators with the connivance of some officials in the Development Control.
According to him, the community for long have suffered hardship as a result of infrastructural deficit and security challenges, saying that it was not in the interest of democracy.
Reacting, Mrs Zaliha’u Ahmed, the Director, Department of Urban and Regional Planning, FCDA, said all the complaints have been duly received by the Honorable Minister of FCT, Mohammed Bello.
Ahmed said the FCT Minister has granted the approval for the demolition of all illegal structures within the Pegi Estate by the Department of Development Control in Kuje. NAN
